55th season of racing begins at Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino

Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino media relations director Eric Alwan addresses the group on hand for Media Dya at the track to announce the kickoff of the racing season on Friday. (Ruben R. Ramirez / El Paso Times)

Optimism is high as the 55th season of Horse racing begins at Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino on Friday.

The 76-day meet will have a total of $20 million in purses and a daily average of $260,000. The meet will be highlighted by the 12th running of the Grade III Sunland Derby on March 23. The graded race serves as a prep for the Kentucky Derby.

"We feel we will have a great season ahead of us," said Director of Racing Operations Dustin Dix. "We expect strong fields for our races. We have a lot of the top trainers and jockeys back from last year. We have some of the top talent in the country performing at our track. We are always striving to put the best product out there for the fans."

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Dix expects another strong field for the Sunland Derby, which generally attracts a strong field of horses, trainers and jockeys. In addition to the two free nomination periods for the Sunland Derby, Dix said there will also be a $25,000 supplemental entry fee for owners, which could attract more good horses into the field.

"The supplemental fee is a first for us and that is a positive move for us here at the track," Dix said.

Other big races during the meet include the Mine that Bird Derby, the Sunland Oaks, the Sunland Park Handicap, the West Texas Futurity and The Championship at Sunland Park.

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Racing will take part on Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday with a few exceptions. The exceptions are Dec. 26, Jan. 2 and Jan. 30, which are all Thursdays. Parking and admission are free. The first post time for this weekend's races are 12:15 p.m.

Among some of the top trainers at Sunland this year are Henry Dominguez and Justin Evans in the thoroughbred division and Michael Joiner and Paul Jones in the quarter horse division. Among the top jockeys returning are Ry Eikleberry and Enrique Portillo Gomez in the thoroughbred division and Esgar Ramirez and Jaime Parga Leos on the quarter horse side.

"It's going to be another strong season and we're hopeful for a good year," said Dominguez, who had 44 winners at last year's meet and who trains the likes of Wine Police and That's The Idea, who are expected to run at Sunland this year. "We hope to have some horses emerge from our stable and we hope to do well in some of the big races."

Owners Larry and Denise Nichols of UKUSA Stables are both looking forward to this season as much or more than any previous year. Larry, who went to high school in Las Cruces and who has lived in El Paso for nine years, has been involved in some way with horse racing for more than 40 years.

"There has been a lot of upgrading done at this track in a positive way," Larry said. "This used to be primarily quarter horse track. Now we have some of the top thoroughbreds and quarter horses running here. It's a good place to be for the horsemen. The quality of racing has been a positive for this area."

The first weekend of racing gets off to a good start. On Saturday the 400-yard Jess Burner Memorial Handicap and the 51/2 furlong KLAQ Handicap takes places, while on Sunday the 61/2 furlong Johnie L. Jamison Stakes and the 6 furlong New Mexico State Racing Commission Handicap are the main races.